It is quite yearning to see an invitation fore fronting towards the right political direction by conforming a meeting that would contract all the opposition groups synonymously to set around the table. The cause is no doubt noble and the necessity of gathering all the shattered efforts is extremely crucial but the one must pause to analyze first the means and timing of the event. Clear knowledge of the background of people calling for the event is useful and a careful reading between the lines before participating is helpful to avoid fatal mistakes.

Granted, each one of the parties individually adopts its own approach, its own methods of strategy, and its own character of thought but it's well desired by the majority of Libyans involved in various opposition establishments to unite and discuss our future as a whole. In order for a form of unity to occur and thrive effectively with no disruptions, a common and mutual agreeable base must be well founded. The absolute minimum base all parties could perhaps meet upon is the fact that the regime in Libya under Muammer's command is no longer accepted by most Libyans in and outside Libya. This senescent ruler and his frazzled clan must take their amputated theory and step aside to leave the chairs of power to others to pursue with new infrastructure and to rebuild the country. Other array of options in regard to whom may takeover leadership and what choices of governmental structure and judicial system to be adopted are all open for negotiations. However, the option of Gathaffi giving up power and retire to enjoy the stolen billions of dollars from the wealth of the people is almost impossible to accomplish peacefully. The simple fact is that what has been taken by force in Libya will never be returned to its citizens but by using force.

Hence, it is logical to say that since Gathaffi jumped into power with force and operated it for over three decades with treason and fear; he will not leave it without a bloody fight. His phobia to lose power has managed to push him to extremes even if that meant for him to take his own offspring in to detention. Likewise, he is so frightened by the actions of his son Mutassim who flee away from Libya to Egypt awhile ago when his personal authorized barrack fought with Gathaffi's personal entrusted guards over power. He then returned back to Libya after his dad forgave him once gratifying Hussni Mubarak's endeavor. Recently, Mutassim's freedom was taken away from him once again; this time when his involvement in preparations for a coup was discovered by his father's intelligent committees. It is well known all through the history that the western world which have the greatest interest in our region will not support and assist any person or group to takeover power unless servicing their own interests is taken as a priority. As an assurance, a great thirst for power must be one of the most essential qualities of that chosen leader which is very vivid in Gathaffi's behavior. Such thirst for power which is often bloody is a guaranteed motivator to easier accomplish other hidden powers desired benefits.

Thus, Muammer will not easily leave power nor will he totally turn it over to one of his sons, like many people are speculating now days, in a desperate attempt to overcome his current political crises. Restructuring power holders in the governmental body, endeavoring to reconstruct international diplomatic relations, appearing with a humanitarian face by letting some of long imprisoned political members free, melting into the new African political pot are all merely cosmetic tools to ultimately longer last the life of the regime. Nevertheless, it serves as a justified tool to cleanup any threat to Gathaffi's power which maybe expected from within his regime and to precisely overcome the diplomatic gap with the US.

Muammer's regime is abusing Libya's wealth and resources by extending both hands generously to everyone whom may assist to reconstruct bridges for Libya with others especially those who would have a larger impact in reinstating relations with the United States. Furthermore, Gathaffi is openly willing to announce to the general public and give up his "principals" of opposing Imperialism to bow down to the US before he is stamped under the upcoming feet of their military power. There are consecutive meetings taking place in Europe and in the United States between key members of the regime on one side and high ranking American politicians on the other. Consequently, there is a complete surrender of the Libyan regime to all commands made by the US including those of exaggerated sums of Dollars as a compensation for the Pan Am mystery. Great efforts have been implemented of expensively paid mediators between both sides, Libya-US, to close up the political gap. Calculated array tricks the regime is playing in its press freedom, economical achievements, and humanitarian policies to convince the international community of the huge shift of the Libyan policy. All of which in addition to the negligible so called dialogue of the opposition is merely the essence of the Gathaffi human rights assembly lead by well rooted, new, and past clean face named Saif. If you go back to the recent interview with Saif Algathaffi, "There is a direct open political line of communications between both sides on a high personal level who are working on recognizing points of differences, finding ways to resolve it in accordance to a certain time table".

In the mean time, the actual structure system and the substance of the regime is never any different than before. Despite the cosmetically done surgeries to the regime, the catastrophe of the revolutionary committees are still in powered and compact, meaningful criticism of the regime is prohibited, political prisoners are detained allover the prisons in Libya according to Gathaffi himself and is permissible to be mistreated; go back to his last speech, the ailment of the public people's conferences are as valid as ever before. Not to mention, intentness and determination of Gathaffi to continue the same philosophy of socialism, implementing his failed theory in ruling while supposedly a necessary elevating change must be conducted. Immutably, Gathaffi never admitted personally not once any creditability for the existence of any type of opposition defining his standings based on his theory of the people are ruling them selves. If the people are ruling those selves and controlling wealth, armament, and power; then how would you justify the existence of an opposition.

Therefore, at least one or more of the opposition parties totally disbelieve in the effectiveness of the dialogue with the rotten regime. They see no upcoming good nor do they see a real benefit to Libyans while we still hear sad news coming from Libya. Serious destruction to areas and residential buildings is taking place in Libya. The regime is forcefully immigrating families and tribes from their homes and lands as what happen recently in Ben-Walid. We still receive news about the killings of people under torture such as Hussain Al-Jaddack recently during his detention. How can one trust a regime to better change when this regime just issued judgments a few months ago for death by execution to a highly educated clique of innocent people? Where is the change we detect when Muammer boldly and openly in his last speech announces his terror and mistreatment to so called "Al-Qaeda members" in Libya following the foot steps of the super power in its treatments to the prisoners in Cuba. Using the American excuse in his treatment to "Al-Qaeda members" in Libya is an open voucher for more assassinations to come and a green light for more underground political arrests to be made.

The term, often used and greatly misused, is the term terrorism or terrorist. The English dictionary defines terrorism as the "systematic use of violence and intimidation to achieve some goal". It is clear that not only individuals, but organizations and states, can also systematically use violence and intimidation to achieve some goal. Let us first assume that regardless of the legality or the morality of an action, if it is carried out with the express interest of causing death or injury and to bring about a political goal, it is terrorism. It is a misconception not to recognize the systematic cleansing of none-revolutionaries in Libya by the ruling regime as terrorism. On the contrary, the rise of resistance is the natural result of the application of force. The right to self-defense by Libyan rebels, none-gathaffiests, is crucial as a result of a long oppression of the government against the educated, opinionated, religious, and any none- hypocritical revolution puppets. Not to mention, it has never been a conclusion of success in the past for the Libyan oppositions whenever engaged in a dialogue with the regime in attempt to better the political freedom in Libya.

On the other hand, the mainstream of the opposition parties believe that time has changed. International influences and recommendations are different, and that some lately explicated statements enhanced with democratic terms by Muammer is in fact worth pausing to reform our objectives. For Muammer to admit publicly his strategic failure and to express openly his willingness to obey the international regulations, the US, is astonishing and rather surprising. The fact to the matter is that Gathaffi is welling to do anything under his power to keep his position. He is willing to make adjustments to his surrounding clan, he is willing to even go further and change some of his policies in the various departments in the government dealing internationally with other countries but he is definitely not willing to give up total control over power. He realizes that giving up power even partially means the fall of his regime eventually which is an option of refusal. Using Saif and Saadi is just another tool to reform power and extend the life of the exact regime. On the long run, securing power to stay within the gathaffi family is essential to both gathaffi's family and to the corrupt revolutionaries.

In order for such dialogue with in the opposition groups to be successful and effective honesty must be the common ground and integrity, modesty must be the tools. There will never be a complete unity among all unless the problem of dialogue with the regime is resolved first and agreed upon from all sides including the NFSL. Also, for that dialogue to bring about any results it has to be publicly announced and both parties are allowed to state their conditions and demands. Gathaffi must at least admit the right to oppose to his policies and strategies if seen to be directed in way un beneficiary to the nation and its citizens. Given the facts about Gathaffi, is this a challenge that could be concord or is it an illusion that some opposition groups are enjoying the sense of hope caused by the adventure of the dialogue for the time being. I hope that what we are witnessing on the Libyan political arena is a dialogue and not surrender to our desperation.

Jihad Abdullah